1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable pin rig and method for rigging a bait. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an adjustable pin rig and a method for rigging a bait which imparts a natural xe2x80x9cswimmingxe2x80x9d motion to the bait while it is being trolled, which allows a fisherman to rig and/or re-rig the bait with one or more hooks without completely disassembling a setup and/or tearing into the bait and rendering it unusable, which is natural in appearance and unobtrusive to the fish desired to be caught, and further, which is inexpensive to manufacture.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the sport of fishing continues to grow at an increasingly rapid pace, and, in particular, the professional tournament fishing circuit, the demand for an entire gamut of fishing tackle and accessories has also grown considerably. It has long been the preference of fishermen to utilize live bait attached to a rod and reel, or other retrieval device, to attract a target species of fish they desire to catch. It is also the preference of fishermen to utilize bait which is native to the area and/or is known to attract the target species of fish. It is also well known that the availability of live bait is often limited, and even when supplies are available, the task of keeping the bait alive long enough to be utilized for fishing may be difficult, if not impossible. As such, fisherman often utilize dead bait which are commonly frozen to facilitate storage and subsequent handling. Another alternative is the use of synthetic baits which may be configured to mimic the appearance of a naturally occurring bait fish, although it is generally recognized that these types of baits are less preferable.
Given the highly competitive and often lucrative field of tournament sport fishing, a number of devices have been developed to attach or rig a hook to a bait, including live, dead, and synthetic baits, and subsequently, to the rest of the fishing equipment. There are a number of factors which must be considered, particularly when rigging a dead bait, to maximize the possibility of attracting and catching a target species of fish. A primary concern with dead bait is to rig the bait in such a manner that the bait simulates a natural xe2x80x9cswimmingxe2x80x9d motion as it is trolled behind a vessel, a common practice in sport fishing, which is very important in attracting fish. In addition, fishing conditions may require that a bait be re-rigged, such as moving the hook from the front to the rear of the bait, based on the strike habits of the target species of fish at any given time. For example, some types of fish, such as a xe2x80x9ckingfishxe2x80x9d typically slash or attack a bait from the rear, whereas others, such as some xe2x80x9cbillfishxe2x80x9d typically attack the head of the bait. Other popular target species of fish, such as dolphin, may attack the bait from either approach and, therefore, the ability to re-rig the bait to accommodate the various strike habits of a target species of fish is highly desirable.
A further concern when rigging dead bait is to attach the bait in a manner that does not detract from the natural appearance of the bait, such that the rig is unobtrusive when it is presented to the target species of fish. Additionally, the ability to quickly and easily rig or re-rig a bait is important, particularly in the tournament fishing circuit, where lost time may equate to a lost catch and/or tournament, with the subsequent loss of valuable prize money.
It is common practice in rigging dead bait to use some type of a pin rig which helps the bait simulate a natural xe2x80x9cswimmingxe2x80x9d motion. Such pin rigs are generally attached to one end of a leader at the point where one or more hooks are attached, and are particularly effective in aiding the simulation of a natural xe2x80x9cswimmingxe2x80x9d motion when secured to the bait through the mouth or snout. Specifically, when a pin rig is properly secured through the mouth of the bait, it serves to keep the mouth closed while trolling, thus preventing water from being forced into the bait which distorts the xe2x80x9cnaturalxe2x80x9d swimming motion, as well as limiting the degradation of the bait due to the force of the water flowing through. It is a generally accepted practice to utilize a length of wire tightly wrapped around the snout of the bait and the leader to which the pin rig is attached, along both sides of the section of the pin which extends upward through the snout of the bait in order to secure the pin rig to the bait. While this is effective to secure the pin rig to the bait, it is extremely time consuming. As such, many fishermen, particularly when fishing in a tournament, may pre-rig a number of baits in this manner, thereby having a bait/leader/pin rig combination ready to be attached to the remainder of their fishing equipment. However, as should be appreciated, this method does not allow for quick and easy re-rigging, as is often required in the heat of a tournament.
As such, a number of devices have been developed to minimize the time required to secure a pin rig to a bait. Specifically, a number of hood type devices have been developed which reduce the time required to perform this operation. These devices are structured to enclose a portion of the leader while engaging the section of the pin which extends upward through the snout of the bait. A major drawback to these devices is that they do not facilitate positioning a hook near the rear of the bait, as the pin rigs are typically attached to the end of the leader where the hook is attached. A further disadvantage of these hood devices is that they detract significantly from the natural appearance of the bait which is to be presented to the target species of fish, thereby reducing the likelihood of a strike and subsequent catch.
A further disadvantage with the aforementioned means for securing the pin rig to the bait, is that they rely on the extension of a significant portion of the pin upward through the snout of the bait. Although the pin rigs discussed are effective in aiding the xe2x80x9cnaturalxe2x80x9d swimming motion of the bait to increase the potential for a strike, once a strike occurs, the target species often disgorges the bait upon biting down and contacting the upwardly extending pin. Thus, an ideal pin rig will not only attract the target species to strike, but it will remain unobtrusive to the target species long enough for the fisherman to set the hook within the mouth of the target fish.
One attempt to overcome the aforementioned problems, is a hood like device which eliminates the pin completely. This device comprises a multi-sectioned plastic hood which is secured over the head of a bait. The device comprises a first section having a post which is inserted through one side of the bait, such as though the eyes, and a second section having a seat designed to securely receive the post, thus securing the device to the bait. The device further comprises a section of beaded chain between the leader and the hook, which allows the hook to be positioned near either the front or rear of the bait. The first and second sections are further structured to secure a portion of the beaded chain near the front of the bait, when the sections are secured together. This provides an additional advantage of directing the trolling force to the point where the bead is secured to the hood, thus minimizing the force exerted on the bait by the hook, which further improves the xe2x80x9cnaturalxe2x80x9d swimming motion of the bait, as well as reduces the wear and tear on the bait. Unfortunately, the advantages thus provided are countered by directing the trolling forces to the point where the bead chain is secured to the hood. Specifically, the beaded chain utilized by this device is the weakest link between the leader and the hook, and the potential for losing a target fish, even once the hook has been set, is significantly increased.
Another device which eliminates the use of a pin comprises a leader having a swivel at one end and a loop structured to accept a first hook at the other end. A second hook is attached to the leader and is positionable along the leader between the swivel and the first hook. In addition, this device includes a length of thin wire attached to the leader and positionable between the second hook and the swivel which is utilized to hold the mouth of the bait closed as well as to maintain the leader, and thus the hooks, in the desired position relative to the bait. While this device permits a bait to be rigged with the hook or hooks in varied locations to accommodate various strike habits of the target species of fish, it is time consuming to wrap the thin wire around the mouth of the bait to secure the device in position for use. Further, the wire wrapping detracts from the natural appearance of the bait, which may reduce the number of fish attracted to the bait.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a pin rig and a method for rigging a bait which allows one or more hooks to be adjustably positioned between the front and rear of a bait. Additionally, it would be helpful for any such adjustable pin rig developed to be quickly and easily attached and detached from a bait, to allow quick and easy rigging and re-rigging of the bait. Further, any such adjustable pin rig and method for rigging a bait would preferably aid in imparting a natural xe2x80x9cswimmingxe2x80x9d motion to the bait. In addition, if any such adjustable pin rig and method of rigging a bait were developed, it would be best if it were unobtrusive to the target species of fish desired to be caught. Also, it would be preferable for any such adjustable pin rig to be inexpensive to manufacture so that it would be readily available to all fisherman.
The present invention is directed to an adjustable pin rig and a method of rigging a bait and addresses these and other needs which remain in the art. The adjustable pin rig includes at least one pin in a preferred embodiment, although in another embodiment the invention comprises a plurality of pins. A pin support is provided to which at least a portion of each pin is interconnected. Each pin further comprises a free end which is structured to extend outwardly from the pin support, and is further structured to pierce a portion of the bait. In one embodiment, the free end of each pin is structured to extend upwardly from an upper surface of the pin support so as to allow each pin to pierce the bait from the underside through the top.
The adjustable pin rig of the present invention further includes at least one fastener for each pin, wherein each fastener is structured to engage a different one of each of the plurality of pins. More specifically, each fastener is structured to at least partially secure the adjustable pin rig to the bait. The pin support is structured to be adjustably positionable along at least a portion of a leader to which one or more hooks are attached. Further, the pin support includes an attachment mechanism which is structured to secure the adjustable pin rig to at least a portion of the leader, which is preferably disposed adjacent the front and along the underside of the bait.
The present invention further comprises a method for adjustably rigging a bait. The method includes inserting a hook which is attached to a length of leader into the bait, positioning a portion of the leader along the underside and adjacent the front of the bait, connecting at least one pin which has a free end to a pin support, piercing the bait from the underside through the top and adjacent the front of the bait with the free end of the pin, securing a fastener to the free end of the pin, and attaching the pin support to a portion of the leader adjacent the front and along the underside of the bait. The method may further comprise removing a portion of the pin extending outwardly from the bait.